The lace-sheet-weavers — a long story (Araneae: Psechridae: Psechrus)
Author
Bayer, Steffen
text
Zootaxa
2012
2012-07-04
3379
1
1
170
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3379.1.1
journal article
20740
10.11646/zootaxa.3379.1.1
8ea1bd82-21db-4726-8d2a-be5866734ea0
11755334
6039832
Psechrus jaegeri
sp. nov.
Figs 48a–d
,
49a–g
,
50f
,
81g
,
83c
,
85n
,
88n
,
91n
Type material:
Holotype
♀
(
SB 530
),
LAOS
:
Champasak Province
:
Muang Bachieng
,
Ban Lak
38,
That Fane
,
N 15°11'03.0''
,
E 106°07'36.9''
,
952 m
,
very small, narrow valley in marginal primary forest, rock with moss
;
P. Jäger
leg.
14.III.2010
;
SMF
.
Paratypes
(1 ♂, 6 ♀♀, 3 s.a. ♀♀):
1
♂
(
SB 302
),
5
♀♀
(
SB 531
,
534
,
536
,
539
,
905
), same data as for holotype, except collectors:
P. Jäger
leg.
13.–17.III
.2010 (all females),
P. Jäger
&
S. Bayer
leg.
27.XI.2009
(male);
SMF
;
1
♀
(
SB 300
),
2 s.a
.
♀♀
(
SB 301
,
405
),
LAOS
:
Champasak Province
:
Muang Bachieng
,
Ban Lak
35,
That Itou
,
N 15°11'37.7''
,
E 106°06'06.3''
,
810 m
, secondary forest, close to small river, in tree holes and between tree roots [
SB
300 in
tube underneath road];
P. Jäger
&
S. Bayer
leg.
26.XI.2009
;
SMF
;
1 s.a.
♀
(
SB 304
),
LAOS
:
Champasak Province
:
Muang Bachieng
,
That Paxuam
,
N 15°10'35.5''
,
E 105°55'21.0''
,
197 m
, secondary forest, in tree holes and between tree roots;
P. Jäger
&
S. Bayer
leg.
25.XI.2009
;
SMF
.
Additional material examined
(1 s.a.
♂
, 2 s.a.
♀♀
,
1 p.
s.a.
♂
,
1 p.
s.a.
♀
, 4 juvs).
LAOS
:
Champasak Province
:
Muang Bachieng, That Paxuam,
N 15°10'35.5''
,
E 105°55'21.0''
,
197 m
, secondary forest, in tree holes and between tree roots; P. Jäger & S. Bayer leg.
25.XI.2009
; 1 s.a.
♀
(
SB 307
),
1 p.
s.a.
♀
(
SB 347
), 1 s.a.
♂
(
SB 306
),
1 p.
s.a.
♂
(
SB 399
),
1 juv.
(
SB 309
),
SMF
.
LAOS
:
Champasak Province
:
Muang Pathoumphone
,
Ban Tha Hou
,
N 14°46'09.6''
,
E 105°59'34.5''
,
132 m
, rock wall;
P. Jäger
&
S. Bayer
leg.
22.XI.2009
; 3 juvs (
SB 311–312
,
348
),
SMF
.
Doubtful material examined:
THAILAND
:
Kanchanaburi Province
:
Si Sawat,
Erawan National Park
,
Cave Phra Dath
;
C.L. & P.R. Deeleman
leg.
13.
III
.1986;
1 ♀
(
SB 121
), Deeleman Coll. in RMNH
.
Etymology.
The specific name is a patronym in honour of the collector of the
type
material, Peter
Jäger
, who I admire for his great knowledge and special skills in arachnology; noun (name) in genitive case.
Diagnosis
(see also diagnosis for
himalayanus
-group above).
Males similar to
P. vivax
sp. nov.
in having strongly curved embolus (E) with several ridges and an almost square course of sperm duct (
Figs 48a–c
,
50a–c
). Distinguished by the narrower, distinctly curved distal section of E and the flat lobe ventrally at its subdistal part (
Fig. 50f
). Moreover, in the tegulum (T) the distal half is narrower than the basal half (
Fig. 48b
). Females similar to
P. vivax
sp. nov.
in having mushroom-like shape of median septum (MS) (
Fig. 49a
,
51a,f
), very short copulatory ducts (CD) and compact spermathecae with their heads (SH) on top (
Fig. 49b
,
51b,g
). Distinguished by the broader anterior part of MS (ratio anterior part / posterior part> 2.6) (
Fig. 49a
) and the even more compact spermatheca (
Fig. 49b
).
Description.
Male:
Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 6.4, carapace width 4.7, anterior width of carapace 2.6, opisthosoma length 9.1, opisthosoma width 3.4. Eyes: AME 0.36, ALE 0.43, PME 0.43, PLE 0.42, AME–AME 0.16, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.24, PME–PLE 0.33, AME–PME 0.55, ALE–PLE 0.40, clypeus height at AME 0.73, clypeus height at ALE 0.66.
Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth.
Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1423. Palp: 8.1 [2.9, 1.4, 1.1, 2.7]; Legs: I 57.0 [15.2, 3.1, 15.7, 16.1, 6.9], II 43.9 [12.9, 2.8, 12.2, 11.5, 4.5], III 30.6 [8.8, 1.9, 7.7, 8.2, 4.0], IV 47.3 [12.7, 2.6, 12.4, 13.5, 6.1].
Spination. Palp: 131, 010, 0100; legs: femur I–III 566, IV 555; patella I–IV 000; tibia I–II 3038, III 3035, IV 3035{3036}; metatarsus I–II, IV 3035, III 3034.
Palpal femur without modification (
Fig. 48d
).
Copulatory organ (see also diagnosis and general description for
himalayanus
-group). Conductor (C) narrow, distal section slightly broader (
Fig. 48b
). Palpal tibia in lateral view short (
Fig. 48a,c
). Cymbium dorsally without scopula (
Fig. 83c
).
FIGURES 48a–d.
Psechrus jaegeri
sp. nov.
, ♂ paratype SB 302 from Laos, Champasak Prov. a–c ♂ palp (a prolateral, b ventral, c retrolateral view). d ♂ left palpal femur, retrolateral view.
FIGURES 49a–g.
Psechrus jaegeri
sp. nov.
, ♀ adult and primordial copulatory organ. a–c ♀ holotype SB 530, d–e s.a. ♀ paratype SB 301, both from Laos, Champasak Prov. f–g ♀ SB 121 (doubtful identification) from Thailand, Kanchanaburi Prov. a, f Epigyne, ventral view. b, g Vulva, dorsal view. c Schematic course of internal duct system. d Pre-epigyne, ventral view. e Pre-vulva, dorsal view.
Female
(Measurements of
holotype
first, those of
paratype
females as range in parentheses):
Body and eye measurements. Carapace length 8.5 (7.0–8.4), carapace width 5.6 (3.3–5.8), anterior width of carapace 3.2 (2.1–3.5), opisthosoma length 10.2 (6.6–10.4), opisthosoma width 5.2 (3.6–5.8). Eyes (only those of
holotype
listed, no significant size variation in
paratype
females): AME 0.39, ALE 0.50, PME 0.53, PLE 0.49, AME–AME 0.24, AME–ALE 0.06, PME–PME 0.28, PME–PLE 0.43, AME–PME 0.65, ALE–PLE 0.50, clypeus height at AME 0.97, clypeus height at ALE 0.86.
Cheliceral furrow with three promarginal and four retromarginal teeth.
Measurements of palp and legs. Leg formula: 1423. Palp: 9.7 (8.8–9.9) [3.3 (3.0–3.3), 1.4 (1.3–1.5, 1.8 (1.7–1.9), 3.2 (2.8–3.2)]; Legs: I 47.8 (42.2–49.3) [12.8 (11.4–13.1), 3.7 (3.1–3.9), 13.0 (11.3–13.2), 12.5 (11.2–13.1), 5.8 (5.2–6.0)], II 38.5 (34.7–38.6) [10.7 (9.8–10.9), 3.2 (2.7–3.4), 10.0 (9.2–10.1), 9.9 (8.9–10.3), 4.7 (4.1–4.9)], III 28.0 (24.7–28.8) [8.3 (7.2–8.3), 2.5 (2.1–2.5), 6.7 (6.0–6.9), 7.0 (6.3–7.5), 3.5 (3.1–3.6)], IV 40.4 (36.0–41.7) [11.5 (10.1–11.5), 2.8 (2.5–3.1), 10.1 (9.1–10.5), 10.8 (9.6–11.3), 5.2 (4.7–5.3)]. Thus, legs in females, in relation to other
Psechrus
species
, quite short: FEM-I+MTT-I/CL: 2.9–3.0.
Palpal claw with 15 (13–15) teeth.
FIGURES 50a–f.
Psechrus
spp.
a–e
Psechrus vivax
sp. nov.
, ♂ holotype SB 310 from Thailand, Trat Prov., Koh Chang Island. f
Psechrus jaegeri
sp. nov.
, ♂ paratype SB 302 from Laos, Champasak Prov. a–c ♂ palp (a prolateral, b ventral, c retrolateral view). d ♂ left palpal femur, retrolateral view. e–f Embolus, ventral view.
Spination. Palp: 131 (131), 110{010} (110,010), 1101 (1101), 1014 (1014); legs (—except for patella— variable, only most common states noted): femur I 567{566} (566,655), II 656{556} (566) III 555 (555), IV 555 (555,554); patella I–IV 000; tibia I 4038{3038} (3038), II 3038 (3038), III 3034 (3034,3035), IV 3036{3035} (3036,3035); metatarsus I 3037{3035} (3037,3035), II 3035 (3037,3035), III 3035 (3035), IV 3034 (3034,3035).
Copulatory organ (see also diagnosis and general description of
himalayanus
-group). Spermathecal heads (
Fig. 49b
) shorter than in
P. vivax
sp. nov.
(but in
P.vivax
only
two ♀♀
available). MS smooth and glossy (
Fig. 88n
). Slit sense organs and epigynal muscle sigilla outside epigynal field (
Fig. 49a
).
Primordial copulatory organ. Pre-epigyne: Similar to
P. vivax
sp. nov.
in shape of pre-MS. The latter almost as long as broad and with curved anterior margins (
Figs 49d
,
51d
). Distinguished by the broader anterior part of pre- MS (
Fig. 49d
).
Pre-vulva: Similar to
P. vivax
sp. nov.
Distinguished by the more voluminous pre-spermatheca and the less extending pre-SH (
Fig. 49e
).
Colouration of male and female (see also description for
himalayanus
-group and
Psechrus
). Median bands on carapace may be slightly serrated or not. Lateral bands narrow (ca. 0.7 diameter of PME) and not serrated. Light longitudinal line ventrally on opisthosoma continuous and rather narrow. If measured centrally on opisthosoma, its width is less than the width of one half of the cribellum (ca. 0.3–0.6 of one half of the cribellum).
Variation of copulatory organs.
Females: Width of median septum varies slightly (
Figs 49a
,
88n
). In vulva the length of SH may differ slightly (
Figs 49b
,
91n
).
Remark:
In the female SB121 from
Kanchanaburi Province
,
Thailand
, the MS (
Fig. 49f
) is narrower than in the specimens from
Laos
. The spermatheca are even a bit more compact and located closer to each other (
Fig.
49g
). It cannot be fully excluded that this specimen belongs to a closely related, different species. However, it is more likely that those differences fall in the range of intraspecific variation of
P. jaegeri
sp. nov.
, as they are just small in regards to interspecific differences. To confirm this, more material —especially males— from that region and from
Thailand
in general are required.
Distribution.
Laos
,
Thailand
(?) (
Fig. 98
).